Apple's AR glasses have been a source of speculation for years, with patents dating back to 2015 and 2017 detailing AR-related software and hardware. But it wasn't until 2019 that it felt like Apple's highly-anticipated AR eyewear project would really happen as the rumor mill released more and more early information.

Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo initially said manufacturing of the AR specs would get underway at the end of 2019 or the start of 2020, according to money.udn.com, noting they would be reliant on a connected iPhone to do a lot of processing and connectivity.

But by mid-2020, with no glasses in sight, a research note from Kuo surfaced that pushed back an estimated release date until 2022.

That said, another source has said that while they might not go on sale until then, they're likely to be announced either alongside the iPhone 12 in late 2020, or at an event in March 2021. The source added that they will apparently be called Apple Glass.

AR-enabled iGlasses have been swaddled in mystery given how little info has come out, and news even broke that Apple had scrapped its plan for AR glasses altogether. A report from Digitimes stated that supply chain sources had confirmed Apple disbanded its AR team.

But a new patent appeared in late 2019 that detailed what appeared to be the much-rumored Apple AR glasses, reigniting the potential of their existence.

Other sources meanwhile have said they're still coming but have been delayed by years, with an AR headset apparently landing in either 2021 or 2022, followed by AR glasses in 2023.

So there's a lot of confusion and debate around when or even if we'll get Apple glasses, but the latest leaks suggest they might be announced before too long, but won't hit stores until a lot later.

While you try and get your head around all that, let's take a look at all the Apple glasses leaks and rumors, as well as Apple's augmented reality background and why AR specs seemed like the next big move for the tech giant.